When it comes to the most classic roofing materials on the planet, thatch stands out for its popularity throughout history. What makes thatch roofing so appealing, though? Thatch offers consistent performance and attractive looks. With our different thatch options, you can create your own tropical escape in your backyard or business.
The term “thatch” traditionally refers to a collection of grasses, reeds and other plant-based materials interwoven for strength and resilience. For example, Mexican Palm thatch is constructed by expertly weaving palm tree fronds and leaves. This process creates a brand-new thatched product and keeps the fronds and leaves from separating prematurely.
When used in roofing construction, thatch helps block the elements, such as water and sun. Many people have rediscovered sustainably sourced thatch for its best properties in recent decades.
Where Can Thatch Be Used for Roofing Projects?
Both naturally occurring and synthetic thatch are eye-catching roofing options. For many homeowners and businesses, thatch makes the perfect aesthetic and practical roofing material for backyard and stand-alone structures. These can include palapas, gazebos and cozy bungalows.
Is Thatch Fire-Resistant?
Natural thatch roofs are not automatically fire-resistant but can be treated with fire-rated thatch sealant. Applying this sealant effectively reduces the chance and overall impact of a fire. Roofs treated with fire-rated thatch sealant produce about half as much smoke as their non-treated counterparts. Some products, such as these Viro Java 3L thatch panels, are fire-resistant without needing sealant and are a great fit when it comes to commercial projects.
Is a Thatch Roof a Good Choice?
For many people, thatch roofs provide an opportunity to bring a tropical, exotic or oasis-like aesthetic to their backyards, commercial spaces and other outdoor areas. Thatch continues to be a go-to choice for many homeowners and business owners eager to bring a fresh, attractive vibrancy to their properties, and covering your roof with thatch materials can help you achieve the structure of your design dreams.
How Long Does a Thatched Roof Last?
A natural thatched roof’s longevity depends largely on climate. In dry regions with moderate climates, Mexican Palm Thatch can last up to five years, and one to two years in more humid or harsher climates. Tahitian Thatch can last five to seven years, and African Cape Reed Thatch can last eight to ten years. If guaranteed durability is what you’re looking for, our Artificial Viro Thatch panels come with a 20-year warranty! To get the maximum value out of any thatch roof, invest in a high-quality product that features expert weaving. With the best thatch product possible, you’ll have a great foundation to meet your exterior structural and landscaping needs.
What Kinds of Thatch Are Available?
Forever Bamboo offers several reliable thatch products:
Mexican Palm thatch
African Cape Reed thatch
Tahitian and Fiji Palm thatch
Artificial thatch
Fire-rated thatch sealant
Where Can You Buy Thatch Roofing Materials?
Putting up a dependable thatch roof requires that you find thatch roofing materials you can rely on. As with any project, your materials’ quality significantly impacts the final results.
Forever Bamboo offers a wide selection of thatch materials. Feel free to look through each type and pick the one you like most. If you have questions, call our team at 877-912-2244 to get knowledgeable answers about thatch roofing.
Tropical drinks, Tiki masks, thatch-covered roofs and kitschy décor are as much the essence of the classic Tiki bar experience as relaxation and entertainment. But where did this iconic movement begin? Put on your favorite Hawaiian shirt, plop an umbrella in your drink and bring your imagination — let’s dive into the history of Tiki bars and discover top decorating tips to bring your own Tiki getaway to life!
A Tiki bar is a tropical-themed entertainment space for relaxing and enjoying cocktails, inspired by romanticized ideas of South Pacific culture. Guests enjoy sipping fruity, rum-based drinks like the classic Mai Tai, Halekulani and Zombie in colorful Tiki mugs under the shade of a Palapa canopy or traditional Tiki hut.
Tiki spaces are as unique as their owners — and no two Tiki bars are alike! People with a passion for the Tiki lifestyle love adding their unique personality to the bar with décor from global travels, Tiki mug collections, fun signage and more.
Tiki pop culture started in the 1930s with commercial bars and restaurants, but today’s residential Tiki spaces can be found in homeowners’ backyards, patios, gardens and basements as beloved personal paradises. The Tiki lifestyle is all about escapism. When you step into a Tiki lounge, you should feel like you’ve been transported to the tropics, surrounded by bamboo, coconuts, beachy vibes, island music, flavorful drinks and nautical details.
History of Tiki Bars and Tiki Pop Culture
One of the earliest Tiki bars that would set the tone for an entire movement was the “Don the Beachcomber” bar, established by Ernest Gantt in 1934 in Los Angeles. Gantt, who later legally changed his name to “Donn Beach,” decorated the bar with numerous artifacts collected from trips to the tropics. Beach served various exotic rum-based drinks and brought in popular musicians and entertainers. The bar was so successful that it expanded to 25 chain restaurants and began the Tiki explosion in popularity.
Another famous bar was Trader Vic’s, created by Victor Bergeron in 1937. Trader Vic’s partnered with Hilton Hotels and expanded to many hotel locations. Many early Tiki bars popped up attached to hotels as restaurants and bars offering cocktails, Asian and Polynesian menus, music and live entertainment. Trader Vic’s also started marketing Tiki mugs, cocktail mixes and other pop culture items, which expanded the marketability of the Tiki bar business culture.
The Tiki movement touched culture all across America — from thatched roofs appearing on car dealerships to South Seas-inspired bowling alleys. The original Tiki bars thrived for about 30 years during the Atomic Age, enjoying a peak of popularity in the early 1960s. Tiki bars started to fade away in the 1970s.
The 1990s saw a revival of Tiki love, and a new generation of Tiki fans embraced the culture. Folks began installing personal Tiki bars in their backyards with pools, creating themed man caves in basements and living up the “work hard, play harder” lifestyle with friends and family. Fans of retro culture, Rockabilly, vintage décor and tropical vibes have continued this ever-evolving trend. Today, great Tiki bars live on in commercial and residential locations worldwide.
Ideal Tiki Bar Locations
Tiki bars can be tiny or enormous, indoors or outside, personal or business. The choice is yours! Most home bars serve a dual purpose — a recreational spot to enjoy chilled drinks and a display area to show off tropical décor, artifacts and personal collections.
Forever Bamboo Tiki huts and Palapas are moderately easy to install depending on your project difficulty, making them the ideal option for a wide variety of setup locations:
Shoreline boat docks
Backyard patios
Poolside pads
Outdoor kitchens
Garden sitting areas
Finished basements
Recreational garages
Home theaters
Man caves
Tiki huts are also perfect for commercial applications, offering countless benefits to business owners and trade professionals. Set up impressive trade show displays. Create shaded areas at outdoor facilities. Add valuable seating outside restaurants, resorts, bars and more!
Tiki Bar Design and Décor
Tiki bar design is like making a cocktail — it’s a mixture of several unique historical, cultural and thematic elements that, when combined, create an immediately recognizable aesthetic flavor. Tiki design is a magical blend of tropical décor, Polynesian island style, retro midcentury elements, escapism and all things “Tiki bar” — the drinks, the mugs, the swizzle sticks, the little umbrellas in the drinks, the whole experience from the bartender pouring to an empty mug.
Designing an authentic Tiki atmosphere is more than simply serving drinks under a thatch-covered hut. Tiki décor has a distinctive look that feels like it’s been collected from faraway lands over several decades. With the right design foundation and island accessories, your Tiki bar will resemble a favorite haunt of sailors and sirens straight out of the 1960s.
Create Your Own Tiki Bar Oasis
First thing’s first — the Tiki life is made in the shade! Every tropical retreat needs an island-inspired covering to enjoy drinks and relax. Every Tiki bar starts with three foundational elements:
Bar and beverages: No Tiki bar is complete without an actual bar — it’s in the name, after all! A long countertop serves as a landing zone for barstool seating and serving drinks that transport guests to a tropical paradise. Storage behind the bar can house a sink, rum, assorted liquors, barware and everything else you need for authentic Tiki beverages.
Seating and furniture: Tiki bars certainly need stools at the counter, but the best retreats include additional lounging areas to converse and dine. Imagine bamboo tables and comfortable seating around the pool, garden or fire pit for a cohesive Tiki look throughout your backyard. Our high-quality bamboo furniture immediately sets the tone for your expanded tropical oasis.
Tiki huts and Palapas: Cover your bar and seating areas to keep your guests cool with Tiki thatch umbrellas or Palapas. These thatched-roof, open-sided structures are also called Tiki huts. You can convert an existing or new bar area into an island experience with one of our large Tiki hut kits, which include all the materials you need to set up your own shelter — lodge poles, roof framing, lodge poles, thatch covering and instructions.
Once you’ve established the basics, it’s time for accessories! Forever Bamboo is your one-stop shop for everything you need to complete a personalized Tiki look:
Tiki mugs and vessels: Traditional Tiki mugs are ceramic and shaped like hand-carved, wooden Tiki masks. Tiki drinking vessels can also resemble coconuts, skulls, Easter Island statues, totems, pirate-themed objects and more!
Bamboo details: Line the front and back of your bar with our eco-friendly, cost-effective textured bamboo paneling. Bamboo is the ultimate tropical backdrop to show off your Tiki mugs, signage and themed barware.
Tropical signage: Add a pop of color and a sense of humor to your Tiki oasis with eye-catching Tiki signage. From carved bamboo floral “Aloha” signs to more comical bathroom signs, great signage makes it clear that everyone is on island time at your Tiki bar!
Beachy and nautical objects: You don’t need to be located near the coastline to enjoy the beachy Tiki lifestyle. Make your own “beach” seating area outside with sand underfoot, seashells and driftwood, or turn your bar into a pirate’s cove with mermaids and a treasure chest.
Looking for even more ideas to take your Tiki hut to the next level? These popular tropical decorations enhance the sights and sounds of any Tiki paradise:
Kitchy midcentury modern art
Island-inspired knick-knacks
Hanging tropical birds
Bamboo wind chimes
Water features
String lighting
Tiki torches
Surfboards
Paddles
Shop the Nation’s #1 Supplier for Tiki Décor and Materials
You can count on Forever Bamboo to provide the highest quality, eco-friendly Tiki materials for your bar — from huts and umbrellas to bamboo products and decorative signage, we have everything you need to create a Tiki experience from start to finish.
Shop the industry’s largest inventory of tropical décor and start designing your tropical paradise today! Looking for advice and specific product information? Complete an online contact form or call our highly trained customer service team at 877-912-2244, available five days a week.
People worldwide have used bamboo for construction, furniture making and other applications for thousands of years. Many factors make it a natural fencing material for properties today:
We want to offer bamboo that’s as high-quality as possible, so each product is inspected and hand-selected. After selection, the bamboo is harvested and sent to a factory for export preparation. The bamboo soaks in a solution of sodium borate that helps deter insect damage and fungus. Weather permitting, the bamboo poles will then sun-bleach, where the green shades will fade to a yellowish-tan hue.
Bamboo products are an eco-friendly alternative to traditional wood products and provide an attractive tropical look to any interior or exterior project. Thanks to their natural sturdiness, our natural bamboo products fit a wide variety of decorating needs. This functional, everlasting natural material suits any business or home improvement project. Many of our items can last even longer with out line of Bamboo Maintenance Products.
A Zen spa bathroom is a luxurious way to give you peace of mind after a stressful day. Soak in the tub or lather yourself in essential oils and release all the tension you carry with you throughout the day. There are several redesign ideas to create a peaceful bathroom in your home. Follow these tips to learn how to create a bath spa at home to help you relax in your living space. Continue reading Make Your Bathroom at Home Feel Like a Spa With These Bamboo Bathroom Décor Ideas
There’s no denying that bamboo is one cool-looking plant. But did you know that bamboo is literally a cool plant? This plant can cool, purify and add more oxygen to the air! It’s a sustainable powerhouse that can revolutionize the building industry, help the planet and reduce our carbon footprint.
Below, we’ve put together a list of our favorite fun facts about the world’s most interesting plant. Let’s explore all the amazing things you can do with bamboo, learn where bamboo grows and discover where to buy bamboo products.
Create a tropical escape in your backyard with willow, reed or bamboo fencing. These cost-effective fencing materials capture the beauty of nature to transform any exterior into a Tiki-themed paradise. There are dozens of colors and sizes to help you bring your vision to life.
Although willow, reed and bamboo have a similar aesthetic, they have unique features and advantages. The ideal option depends on your climate, budget and style preferences. This guide will explain the differences between these materials to help you choose the best fencing for your home or commercial space.
Summer is the perfect time to revamp your home’s exterior design. Because summer means spending hours on end outside, you need an outdoor living space you actually want to spend time in. Whether you dream of turning your yard into a personal sanctuary or the ultimate party pad, freshening up your exterior decor can help you achieve your summer design goals.
This exterior decor style guide will explain the benefits of updating your home’s exterior, provide tons of outdoor summer decor ideas and give you ways to transform your backyard into a tropical oasis. Learn about the hottest exterior design trends of the summer and how you can use them in your outdoor layout.
Gardening is a popular hobby for plenty of reasons. It offers an ideal source of low-impact exercise while getting you the fresh air and sunshine you need. In addition, gardening provides you with tasty produce to help you make healthy meals. Gardening can also serve as landscaping, freshening up your yard with beautiful, colorful scenery.
Whether you prefer to plant flowers, vegetables, fruits or trees, gardening is a fun and rewarding activity.
If you’re a beginner and have questions about how to grow a garden, below are some of the best plants to grow during each season — and general tips for promoting a healthy garden.
